What to do when the water sports sector is decreasing? How can water sports businesses stop youth from being attracted by cheap international holiday providers and let them choose again for a sailing week in the Netherlands? Or is there a lack of innovation in the sector? Requested by the provincial government of Friesland, the ETFI is going to do research in order to increase chances in the field of water sports (holidays) in Northern Netherlands.
According to the water sports businesses in Fryslân the interest in the traditional water sports products is decreasing. It is assumed that this decline is caused by the competition with cheap holiday destinations abroad, changing consumer behavior of youngsters, and a lack of innovative power in the sector.
As the water sports sector is a major pillar of tourism in Friesland, the provincial government of Friesland wants to know which steps have to be taken to reposition the water sports sector on the target market of youngsters between 15 and 25 years of age. The province has asked Waterrecreatie Advies B.V. in Lelystad to investigate the trends in water sports. The European Tourism Futures Institute will develop scenario’s for the development of the water sports sector aimed at the youth, and will identify possible courses of action.
The ETFI part of the project entails a mismatch analysis between the current water sports supply and the demand and interest from the target group (youth 15-25 years), and identification of possible innovations that could stimulate the pull (attractive power) of water sports for this target group and increasing participation rates and repeat visitation. The objectives of the project will be achieved by means of desk research, focus group meeting with a youth panel and a workshop with entrepreneurs in the water sports business. Students of BBA Tourism Management at Stenden university will be involved.
The project will be finished in November 2012.
